â€œMost school districts put a premium on success at third grade, when high-stakes tests are first administered. Itâ€™s a strategy very much like waiting until youâ€™re 60 before getting serious about retirement savings.â€ Samuel J. Meisels, Erikson Institute, Early Ed Watch, July 11, 2011

College-bound students get inside look at health care in Missoula camp Put on by the Western Montana Area Health Education Center at the University of Montana, the camp provides a "stepping stone in giving them an upper hand for when they actually do go to school" and want to go into the health care field, said Jeremy Cox, coordinator for MedStart and a pharmacy student at UM.

Teens-Only Incubator Announces First Startup Class"I started my first company when I was 14, and there were a lot of people who generously helped mentor and provide me with valuable guidance along the way. Having benefited from that support network, I think it's important for seasoned entrepreneurs to pay it forward and proactively lend a guiding hand to our next generation of aspiring tech entrepreneurs and contribute to them hopefully building the next Google or Apple."

Montana's green jobs key part of state economyMontana boasts one of the highest concentrations of "green" jobs, but the growth of that environmentally friendly sector has been slower than the national average, a new report concludes.

Local entrepreneurs can be too humble"We wanted them to have a chance to share their stories (to those thinking of starting a new business)," she said. "We can make the path a little easier for those behind them."

A Tourism Office Falls Victim to Hard TimesAn alluring billboard beckoned to motorists on a busy industrial corridor here this spring. It displayed just one image, a panoramic view of a valley and mountains and sunshine, and one word, "Montana."

Seattle Grows Up"Now, you're seeing folks who are on their third company. They're starting those companies with the kind of understanding of what it takes to raise money, what it takes to be successful."

Speak Your Piece: Dear FCC...Yes, rural America needs broadband. But the best way to do that is many places is through local carriers. Reforms to the Universal Service Fund proposed by the FCC, however, could put these small, rural companies out of business.